Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to stand in the House and congratulate Chief Bill McCue, the Chippewas of Georgina Island and the minister of Indian affairs for their hard work in introducing a bill that will enable 14 First Nations to opt out of the land management section of the Indian Act. Chief Bill McCue, along with this colleagues, initiated this historic agreement.
This progressive piece of legislation promotes economic development in native communities and enables these communities to manage their own lands and resources.
This is a significant step closer toward full self-government and all of us in the House should applaud this initiative.